Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a sealed battery.
Description of the Background Art
A sealed battery including a battery element in a sealed casing is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-185113.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-185113 points out that an issue will arise in that when a battery is used as an in-vehicle battery which will be used for long years, the battery internal pressure is increased by gas generation in the battery through charging/discharging or use in high-temperature environments. Employed as a solution therefor is a safety mechanism such as a current-interrupting valve for interrupting a current path when the battery internal pressure rises to a predetermined internal pressure, and an explosion-proof valve which is partly cracked when the battery internal pressure rises to a predetermined internal pressure, thereby preventing a battery container itself from exploding.